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In one of our previous guides, we’ve discussed the topic of some of the best electronic drum machines. You can read more about them here.

Today we’re going to cover something different, a crossover of a guitar pedal and a drum machine. This is the Singular Sound Beat Buddy Guitar Pedal drum machine. You’ll see how to set its ready-made drumming options, as well as how to play it along other instruments.

Main features

A large number of songs, genres and drumming patterns that deliver great playing experience

Player-friendly visual metronome with moving lines that indicate the time signature

MIDI Sync compatibility

The option to add your own drumming patterns and rhythms, as well as to download more ready-made songs

Good sound quality

One of the greatest perks of using this device is the wide range of drumming options you can choose from.

For starters, it comes with 10 ready-made drum set sounds that cover more than 20 music styles. Singular Sound BeatBuddy will enable you to play your guitar or keyboard in all major genres, from pop, rock, blues and jazz to funk, reggae, Latin music, as well as metal and punk.

It’s important to mention that those pre-set drumming patterns were performed by professional drummers. So, when you’re playing your instrument along with any of these rhythms, you can pride yourself on having a professional drummer behind your back.

In addition to common rhythms and measures, such as 4/4, 2/4 or 3/4, this electronic machine can be adjusted to play some irregular beats, like 7/8, 5/4 and many others.

As such, it’s a perfect choice for various kinds of musicians, from buskers to singers/songwriters who play their gigs without bands.

Using it live

Most devices are easily used in the comfort of your rehearsal room. A real test for a device of this kind is its playability and usability in live events.

This is where the Singular Sound BeatBuddy Pedal has proven to be a reliable and practical option.

The credit for most of its reliability goes to the extremely well designed interface.

When you’re playing a certain rhythm on this device, a moving line will appear on the screen. This visual metronome will indicate the measure in which you’re playing. For instance, if you’re playing “Blackout” by Muse, you’ll set the rhythm to 3/4 and there will be three moving lines on the screen, showing the number of beats you’re playing in that time signature at that very moment.

Until the emergence of this device, the comfort of using pedal options on stage was the benefit that only guitar players had.

Today you can change the drum patterns and beats, as well as switch to different drum fills as you play, thanks to the hands-free design of the Singular Sound BeadBuddy Pedal.

As you press the pedal during your live performance, you can change the rhythm in accordance with the song you’re playing. What’s more, you can easily move onto other parts of the song.

Another great perk for live gigs is the option to scroll down the song lists and get to the song you’d like to play next in no time.

Guitar players can learn how to use the playing perks of this electronic drum machine here.

On the other hand, if you’re a keyboard player, you should follow this video tutorial.

Additional options

Apart from playing your instrument along the drum patterns that come with the Singular Sound BeatBuddy Pedal, you can insert additional songs to this device. The memory card can accommodate up to 3 million songs and 300 extra drum sets.

All these options can be downloaded from manufacturer’s website and imported into the device.

What’s more, if you have a drummer whose drumming patterns you’d like to add to this device, you can record it and simply import them to your BeatBuddy pedal. This is where you should use the BeatBuddy Manager tool, so visit their forum to learn more about the software.

The technical specs

This electronic device comes with the 24-bit sound quality, which matches the output reached in professional music studios.

As for the input options, there are 3 x 1/4’’ inputs. For instance, here you can plug in the BeatBuddy footswitch (we’re going to talk about that later in this article).

There are also 2×1/4’’ output options, as well as 1×1/8’’ output. The latter is meant to accommodate your headphone connector.

If you want to connect your BeatBuddy Pedal to another device, you can easily do it via the Mini-B USB connection.

Singular Sound BeatBuddy Mini

Before you get to use the Singular Sound BeatBuddy Pedal, you could try its younger and smaller sibling – the Singular Sound BeatBuddy Mini. This version is smaller and less expensive than its bigger counterpart. There are some differences that you need to be aware of.

The Mini includes 120 tracks, while the original BeatBuddy Pedal has more than 200 tracks. Also, the display on the Mini is much smaller, which makes the adjustment in live gigs a bit less convenient than the use of the big BeatBuddy.

Also, you won’t be able to import or edit new files to this device. The 16-bit sound output is different from the original 24-bit sound quality. Despite this reduction, BeatBuddy Mini still delivers great sound quality.

In general, it’s a practical and gig-friendly device. The visual metronome is still here, which is especially useful for musicians who are still struggling with tempo. The body of this device has one footswitch and two knobs. The former is used to change the drum patterns and add fills during the performances. Also, you can activate various transition patterns via the footswitch.

You set the volume with the left knob and change the songs, genres and tempo with the right knob.

The Singular Sound BeatBuddy Dual Momentary Switch

A great appendix to the Singular Sound BeatBuddy Pedal or its Mini counterpart, the BeatBuddy Dual Momentary Switch can make your playing experience more convenient.

This addition provides some handy additional options, such as drum pauses and emphasized hits.

You can scroll down the songs on your main BeatBuddy Pedal only by using your foot and the Dual Momentary Switch.

Its firm metal body and well-made buttons guarantee that it endure a large number of gigs and deliver great performance for its users.

Conclusion

The Singular Sound BeatBuddy Guitar Pedal will meet the demands of every home, studio, street or gig musician.

Be it a guitarist, a keyboard player or any other musician who can play along this electronic device, you can count on dozens of pre-recorded options.

A great advantage is that you can add your own drumming patterns to it. It’s made of solid and durable material, so you won’t have to worry about the durability of the BeatBuddy Guitar Pedal when playing live.

Together with the Singular Sound BeatBuddy Footswitch, you’ll get a firm drumming duo that delivers good sound quality at the stomp of a foot.

Kat Percussion produces latest high-performance drum kits, modules and other accessories. Their electronic drum and percussion pad sound module is no exception, as it comes with great features and provides high quality sound.

As a great addition to any electronic drumming setup, this percussion pad sound module comes at a pretty affordable price. Let’s get into the detailed review of its advantages and disadvantages!

We’ve also written a detailed guide on the best electronic drum pads, so be sure to check out that article!

The Kat Percussion KTMP1 – Overview

The Kat Percussion KTMP1 pad adds electronic drum, dance and percussion sounds to your setup. The pad can be played with both sticks and hands, whichever you prefer. However, if you’re going to play it with hands you will need to hit a bit harder to get the best sound quality.

This sound module features 50 high quality as well as fully adjustable sounds with multiple purposes. The four velocity-sensitive pads are in charge of the great quality sounds you can produce with this module.

The Kat Percussion KTMP1 sound module pad offers a wide range of tones. It allows you to add cool and unique sounds to any setup. Most importantly, with this sound module pad you can add a variety of sounds to freshen any acoustic set by adding electric tones.

The product does not include drumsticks, pedals or stands so you will need to upgrade it with several other products to get a full set. Overall, the KTMP1 electronic drum and percussion pad sound module is a great addition to any drum or DJ setup.

Key playing features of the KTMP1

The KTMP1 sound module provides high quality sounds and great features, thus being a compact and affordable addition to any setup. You can fine tune its sounds to perfection, as well as pan and assign them to one of the four highly-responsive and velocity-sensitive pads.

Furthermore, each sound you create with the KTMP1 electronic drum and percussion pad sound module can be specifically customized. You can adjust the sensitivity of the pad and the level of control to get the customized sounds you’re looking for.

The module features two additional inputs for upgrades. Therefore, if you decide to purchase a hi-hat controller pedal and a bass drum trigger, you will be able to use the two extra inputs. The module also provides USB/MIDI connectivity with a 1/7 inch main output, as well as a 1/8 inch stereo headphone jack.

What new players should know

The KTMP1 electronic drum and percussion pad sound module features simple controls and settings. Thus, it is easy to use and even a beginner player can quickly learn to operate with it. Thanks to its simplicity, this sound module pad can also be used as a practice pad, as it can be carried easily.

The pad can be easily mounted on stands for a more functional and convenient use. It fits the standard stands of 7 to 8 inches in size. However, what is most important for new players to now is that this sound module pad can be expanded into a mini-drum set.

Upgrading it to a mini electronic drum set (optional)

You can upgrade this pad by adding several other products which can turn it into a mini-drum set. Here are three products you can purchase to expand this pad into a drum set:

#1 KAT Percussion KT-HC1 Hi-Hat Controller

The KAT percussion Hi-Hat controller is a great addition to this sound module pad. It comes with a 1 m long cable and a Velcro base that prevents the equipment from moving as you play.

This Hi-Hat controller significantly adds to the quality of sound and the final result with this pad. The product is sturdy and great quality for the affordable price it comes for.

#2 KAT Percussion KT-KP1 Bass Drum Trigger

This KT-KP1 Bass Drum Trigger should be used along with a standard bass drum pedal. It extends the triggering capability of the set and provides bass drum operation.

Overall, it comes for a great price and features a compact and portable design, including a 1 meter long cable, as well as the Velcro base to prevent slipping.

#3 Getting a Bass Drum Pedal

The third and final product you should add to this sound module is the pedal that is used to hit the bass trigger pad.

All together, this high quality yet affordable sound module offers a lot of features and additions. With 50 high quality sounds that can be customized and fully adjusted, there’s nothing more you would need from a pad of this kind.

The pad features four velocity-sensitive pads that you can play with either sticks or hands. The pad features plenty of connectivity options from main outputs and a stereo headphone jack to USB/MIDI connectivity.

This sound module pad can also be used as a practice pad by both professionals and beginner players. It is portable and thus provides a convenient solution for practicing on the go. It will add a variety of unique electronic sounds to any acoustic set and thus better its quality.

Overall, this KAT product provides enormous quality and unique features. It can also be made into a mini-drum set by purchasing other products that go along with it.

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